10 Things I Wish the San Francisco Giants Would Bring Back or Improve Upon

I love my San Francisco Giants.  During the good and bad times, the warm days at AT&T Park and freezing cold days at Candlestick, and from the nosebleeds to the premium seats that had me on TV all day long, I've always been a loyal fan.

At AT&T Park, there's always new developments and innovations that makes our ballpark stand out as one of the best in the nation.  But there's always room for improvement.

I wish there were some things they can improve or bring back from the past:

1. Every time we win the game, do they always have to play the "whoo hoo" song?  Isn't there a more recent trendy song that can get the crowd going?  Remember "Who Let the Dogs Out?"  It was great to hear that and hear the fans in the stands sing out loud.  Could we sing the Ghostbusters song when Posey hits a home run?
2. The Giants promotes all these new food options like the Original Joes burgers and sushi, but these new creations are only sold in just one isolated location in the entire park.  Original Joes burgers are only sold near section 136 near the mini ballpark for kids, and the sushi stand is in the Club Level which means only the privileged Giants fans have access.  At least open a second stand somewhere accessible to everyone.
3. Where's the social media hangout they planned to open at the former Build a Bear stand?  Now it's an abandoned building for the last few homestands.  If you don't plan to open a social media hangout, how about opening a second Crazy Crabz location because those sandwiches tastes GOOD!
4. Sometimes the ushers don't really care about people going to their seats while the ball is in play or the batter is in the box.  It annoys the crap out of me seeing people just walk up the stairs to their seats and blocking the view of the ball being pitched.
5. I remember the when the arcade section had the flat penny machine and the penny you received said what game you attended.  It was the best souvenir for just 51 cents.  Can we get that back?
6. Can you cook the garlic fries a little bit longer?  The Club level has a reputation for cooking good garlic fries, but the rest of the stands in the park could use a little more TLC.
7. Bring back the souvenir pin giveaways.  It used to be a common occurrence back at Candlestick, including one pin I still have on my hat from nearly 20 years ago when the Rockies first played against the Giants at Candlestick.  I like the pins more than a box full of giveaway hats and oddball items like fingerless gloves.
8. I find it ironic that soda cans are banned from bring brought into the park, but they sell beer in aluminum bottles.  Are aluminum beverage containers considered a weapon?
9. Please kill-off the "Family Feud" from your gameshow inning promotion.  How the hell is Dirty Harry not a top eight choice for best San Francisco movie, but that Nicholas Cage film, The Rock is a top eight?
10. Is it just me or is nearly impossible to find the designated driver program booth anymore?  Ever since they yanked-out the desk next to Guest Services, there's no way to tell if they even take sign-ups anymore for those free sodas.  They put a new location on the promenade level near the stairwell leading to the Lefty O'Doul gate, but it's manned only on a few days and you'd miss it if you weren't looking carefully.

Check your 2013 SF Giants Pre-Sale Tickets for Overcharges

Did you buy any Giants tickets for the 2013 season during the period from Black Friday (day after Thanksgiving) to December 31, 2012?  You might want to check your tickets if you were overcharged.

The SF Giants offered a pre-sale of their tickets to be sold for all games from March to the end of June 2012 (except the first series for home opening).  I was one of the lucky ones to go to the Giants Dugout at AT&T Park on Black Friday at 10AM to purchase tickets at the first opportunity available and not pay the surcharges versus buying online or at satellite Dugout Store locations.

While my father and I was able to get the game tickets we wanted, a week later, I wanted to compare the tickets we paid for to the updated dynamic pricing list.  As you may be aware, Giants tickets are sold on a marketing system where high demand tickets will be sold at higher prices, and in 98% of cases, buying a ticket at first availability will be the cheapest and the cost will rise until the day of game.

It turned-out, while the ticket prices rose on a handful of them, I noticed an unusual anomaly on one of our game tickets.  On the day we bought our tickets, I printed the dynamic pricing list and was supposed to pay $62 per ticket in the Lower Box section.  Instead, the ticket printed out at $80 each, an $18 difference.  On the day I discovered the problem, the correct price was raised by $1, from $62 to $63.

Since the dynamic pricing doesn't change the same day you print-off the list, I had the price list in hand as evidence we got ripped-off, and especially since the price only was raised by a dollar within a week.

After making some calls to the Giants to get this problem fixed, they acknowledge something went wrong when we purchased the tickets and refunded my father and I the difference.

I suggest to everyone to inspect your tickets.  If the price you printed looks too suspiciously high, you should contact the Giants ticketing services office.  But before you start accusing them of bad business, be aware that you may have been charged extra for any of the following: Ticket service surcharges, paid for a ticket that includes a special ticket to an event or promotional item (e.g. Cinco De Mayo), or included "Splash Ticket" funds which gives fans extra ballpark spending money (such as: Give them $10, get $12 in funds on game day).

Simple Tips on Taking Public Transit to Giants World Series Parade

This Wednesday at 11AM is going to be a great day for San Francisco when everyone is getting Halloween candy and watching the San Francisco Giants at the World Series ticker tape parade.

If you plan to go to the parade, are you prepared to take public transportation?  Taking your car into downtown SF is going to be the worst idea ever with traffic, tons of people, and limited parking.

Public transit is your BEST option!  At the 2010 World Series parade, tons of people took Muni, BART, Caltrain, and the ferries to get to the city to watch our team celebrate, now it's 2012 and tens of thousands of fans will flood the city again.

Being prepared is the best way to make it through public transportation.  Here's my simple tips on how be ready:

1. If you ride BART, buy your round-trip BART ticket TODAY.  Do it on Wednesday and wait in a long line for a ticket.  By having a ticket ready for entry, you can get through the gates quicker.
2. If you ride Golden Gate Ferry, you can also purchase your round-trip ferry fare early by visiting one of the Golden Gate ticket machines at the terminals.
3. For other transit agencies that utilizes cash fares, make sure you carry enough dollar bills and coins to cover your rides.  Nobody likes people who holds up a bus when they are digging for that remaining quarter in their pocket.
4. If you really need a seat on BART, you may want to take a train going the opposite direction and board the train deeper in their system, such as Richmond station.
5. Parking at stations can be a problem on Wednesday.  Some parking lots allows you to reserve a space, so do your research and be ready.  Many BART stations with parking allows you to pre-pay for parking and you get a reserved parking space.  I suggest you do it.
6. As always, my best tip of all, GET A CLIPPER CARD.  Clipper cards are valid on all the major transit agencies going to San Francisco.  While there's a $3 new card acquisition fee, that will pay off when you don't have to suffer waiting in a ticket machine line; it's like the express pass to getting on that boat, bus, or train.

Clipper, the express pass to skipping waiting in line for tickets.

A List of Bad Manners by Giants Fans

I personally love going to Giants games.  It's a time for me to unwind at a night game after a tough day at work, or spend time with my dad at Sunday afternoon games.

Because of the way the ticketing system works, I don't get a choice in what row to sit in; I sometimes get the choice of what specific section.  One of the more annoying seats I get assigned to is the first row in the upper reserved section.  About half of the time I get assigned the first row, I always get some kind of obstructed view and as you see in the photo, I get a clear view of home plate, but have to view the outfield through the plexiglass while seated.

I'll tell you, there's a lot of fans at AT&T Park that needs a lesson in proper manners.  Here's my list of the most annoying things fans do:

Standing for way too long:  Unless if you are in the very last row in the super nosebleed seats, don't stand-up for too long when there's a spectacular defensive play or a great offensive play like a home run.  Standing-up and cheering at sports games is a tradition, but do it for too long and you become a thorn for fans sitting behind you.  When I stand-up and cheer at an important moment of the game and I know I've been standing longer than I should, I turn around and check the fans behind me; if they are standing and cheering too, I'm okay to continue doing so, but if nearly all of them are sitting, it's time for me to sit.  I haven't noticed this in a few years, but in some cases, if you stand too long or stick out like a thorn too often, I've seen the cops escort the person out because they are too drunk.

Not making room when going through the row:  I hate those moments when you are trying to get to your seat located in the middle of the row and you have to get through about a dozen people.  There's always those people who refuse to stand-up and sometimes will just scoot their legs one way so you don't trip and fall.  Reality check folks, be nice and just please stand-up and shove your calves into the seat as far as you can so you can help your fellow fan get to their seat as quickly as possible.

Using a seat as a step to the next row:  I don't see it that often anymore; there's those fans who puts their feet on a seat to get into the next row.  As I like to say to those who likes to put their feet on seats, "I don't want your foot on my ass, get your feet off the seat!"  The floor is a nasty place, and all I don't want is a nasty beer soaked shoeprint on the rear end of my pants.

Drinking way too much: Stadiums makes handfuls of money selling overpriced little cups of beer, but when people drink way too much, they get on my nerves.  To the fans who drink, beer is treated as liquid gold, and to me, I'll stick to my 75 cent bottled sodas I bought at the grocery store.  When some fans drink too much, they can become belligerent and I've seen my share of fans being arrested for acting like jackasses.

Can #SFGiants fans learn to STAY IN THEIR SEATS until the inning is over? Stop blocking my view!
— Akit (@AgentAkit) July 1, 2012

Those who leave their seats in the middle of the inning: Sitting in the first row has its perks and weaknesses.  I don't understand why people have to leave their seats right in the middle of an inning, especially when the batter is in the box or the ball is still in play.  Is it that important to grab a hot dog or go to the bathroom at that moment during the game?  Why can't you at least wait until the inning is over to leave your seat and go handle your business?  Sometimes it's okay to leave your seat after an out, but only if a fan is sitting close to the aisle, and can make it to the bottom of the steps before the next pitch.  But if you can't make it, then just wait.

While I'm talking about people who leave their seats at the middle of an inning, I'm going to talk about the most annoying fans EVER.

Those who block the views of the front row people:  Yeah, I know you fans, the ones who tries to go to their seats during the middle of a game.  The ushers can only do so much to tell fans to wait until the play is completed to return to your seats.  As I said before, sitting in the front row has its disadvantages and this is one of them.  I'm sitting there watching pitch-by-pitch and you have those fools who walks right into the my view in the middle of a pitch, and sometimes I miss a key play.  I've even had to tell people starting to walk up the stairs to: "please wait, as you are blocking my view of the game."  Sometimes that technique works, other times, they are totally oblivious and just going up the stairs or gives a rude "excuse me."  Other times, there's the fans that goes up the stairs and instead of keep walking, they stand at the step totally blocking my view, while the fan thinks they have a totally unobstructed view of the game.  I usually give them the hand waiving motion to get the hell out of the way, otherwise I start to get verbal.  Here's my tip on when it's the right time to return to your seats: Wait until the inning is over.  Unless if you can run up the stairs and get into your seat from the time the out is declared and the next pitch, JUST WAIT UNTIL THE INNING ENDS.

In summary:

1. Respect others
2. Give courtesy to your fellow fans
3. And have some patience!

I'm probably missing a few items on the list of bad manners.  What's your list of your peeves while at the ballgame?  Leave your comments.

Warriors Coming to SF - Expect Muni Nightmares

There's now word from the city the Golden State Warriors will have their new home at Piers 30/32 here in San Francisco and be open in 2017.  While sad for Oakland, it's great news for our city to get sales tax money and have a large indoor sports arena for our city.

Surely this is exciting news, but being a local resident of the city, I have fears of a big nightmare.

As we all know, AT&T Park is not far away from the new arena site and if you have ever gone to a Giants home game, you know how bad traffic and transit can be.  Traffic before and after games is slow or just a standstill.  If you ride Muni metro to the ballpark, you know about the passenger crush loads on every single train.  For Caltrain and BART, they are also busy shipping baseball fans to and from the game.

But with the Warriors in town, the worst nightmare will be when both the Giants and Warriors plays on the same day at the same time.  I don't think Muni metro will be able to take on the huge loads of passengers going to both games.

Muni was smart when they built the platforms along the Embarcadero, they are so long, you can fit at least three train cars.  But Muni metro has a few big problems:

1. They can't operate three car trains anywhere on the surface or subway (something about running in "tow mode").  The more trains, the better the capacity.
2. The passenger loads are already at crush loads for Giants games.
3. The passengers living along the T-Third line will continue to experience hell because it's both one-car trains and for many, can't get on the train to get home.
4. There's always a backup of Muni metro trains after an event because they line-up trains on the revenue track.  Passengers from Caltrain and the T-Third gets stuck waiting for trains ahead to clear-out.
5. There's usually a back-up of inbound metro trains at Embarcadero before Giants games.  Why?  Muni officials holds the ballpark bound trains longer at the platform and fill them to capacity while other non-ballpark bound trains are waiting in line.

I think Muni can at least start the planning stages on how to handle the Warriors crowds.  Let's remember there's not much parking around the area and more will be depending on public transportation to get people to and from the games.

Here's a few of my ideas for Muni:

1. Realign the metro tracks along the surface route nearest to have three tracks.  The outer tracks are revenue tracks and the middle track can be a staging area for extra trains so they don't block regular service provided by the N-Judah and T-Third lines.
2. Provide express bus service from Embarcadero station to Warriors arena.
3. Find a way for Giants fans to utilize the future Central Subway while Warriors fans uses the Howard street Muni platform.

Just a few other random transit ideas (more of a dream):

1. Definitely more ferries with bigger capacity.  Extra boarding/disembarking doors on the boats will help.
2. Utilize AT&T Park's parking lot for vehicle parking with a nearby ferry dock to provide frequent high speed ferry service to and from the Warriors arena.
3. Disneyland style multi car trams to major transit stations (is that even street legal?).
4. Bore another subway tunnel to serve the arena and ballpark.
5. Offer incentives for people to take transit, such as buy a game ticket and get half-price fares on public transit.
6. How about a monorail?  "Monorail, monorail, monorail!  Mono... D'oh!"

Standing in Line for Four Hours for Giants Tickets on Black Friday

Can you believe it? We are less than a month away until Christmas. Time does fly fast, doesn't it?

Well... time doesn't fly as long as you stand in line for four hours with only twenty people in front of you to buy Giants tickets...

The Horror of Buying Giants Tickets on Black Friday
Did any of you get any Black Friday bargains? For me, I'd say yes, but here's what happened when I was in line buying Giants tickets on the first day of early sales...

• On Black Friday, Giants tickets went on sale at 10AM, and in order to buy tickets without paying the outrageous surcharge, I went to AT&T Park's Giants Dugout store to buy my tickets.
• I stood in line at 9:30AM with 20 people ahead of me and was expecting to get in the door at 10AM, stand in line for no more than 20 or 30 minutes, and get out as quickly as possible. But the horror came when the line was hardly moving...
• Why? They only had one computer working to sell tickets. Their other computer wasn't operational. With only one computer, it took the average person 10 to 15 minutes to buy the tickets they wanted, and a good majority of the fans was unprepared, thinking on the fly on what games they wanted to see.
• To make matters worse, the Dugout store realized after two hours, they needed extra workers to run the other ticket computers at the glass window sales booths on King Street. One they got those working, they decided to mishandle the next in line customers by allowing the people in the back of the line to get to the glass window booths first, therefore someone like me, #20 in line, got royally screwed over in this fiasco.
  
• In the end, I stood in line for FOUR HOURS just to buy twelve Giants tickets.

Okay, so the Giants Grinch got me again, Giants management making me waste many hours of my life because they were too stupid to use common sense by being prepared for the masses waiting to get game tickets.

On a better note, let's all remember something important:
The holidays are not the same because John Toomey, a.k.a. Santa Claus whom was fired from Macy's Union Square and hired by Lefty O'Doul's, died in late July.

During his stint last holiday season at Lefty's, the message put out showed that us citizens should be generous and donate to needy people in the Bay Area. I decided last year to buy some toys and bring it to Lefty's to donate it to the SF Firefighters toy program, and I was stunned to see the barrel overstuffed full of toys from great people of our city.

This year, I will make sure to donate again, because I know that while I'm thankful to have a job and income, the less fortunate may not be able to buy a toy for their child.

I want to propose a challenge to you readers, make a donation, whether it be a toy, dropping off food at the local food bank, or even spend time at a program like Glide to serve food. Make sure to share the holiday spirit with others, and I'm sure someone out there will appreciate what you have donated.

I Won a Ride with Lou Seal - Worth Every Second

This is really cool. On Friday the 26th, I was a passenger on the Lou Seal-ebrity Ride of the Game! That's right, I scored a ride around the ballpark at the end of the third inning.

You might be thinking... how did Akit afford to pay $400 to ride around the ballpark? The answer is, I didn't pay anything; I won it!

Here's what happened...

I got a call the week before and the lady said, "hi, I'm calling from AAA." I thought to myself, oh crap, what did you do to my membership and insurance? She then told me I was the winner of four Giants tickets; okay... good! And to top it all off, I won a ride with Lou Seal around the ballpark!

It turned out it was a text to win raffle I entered when I was at a July giants game and noticed on the scoreboard information on how to enter. So I took a punch in the arm, put my info into the cell phone and took a chance at fame.

I got an e-mail later that day with all the information I needed to know, and gathered up three people to come along with me; the only people I could find are my co-workers I work and I dragged them along with me for the fun.

I could only pick one person to tag along with me on the golf cart, and I picked my fellow SF State colleague, Amanda. The group (not including me) was two guys and one lady; as a gentleman, I gave up my second seat on the policy of 'ladies first.' The two other guys wanted to bribe me to take them, but even then, I didn't want their money, nor let them pay me for their ballgame tickets.

It was quite interesting. Two reps from the Giants came to our seats to pick-up Amanda and I, and we were waiting for Lou Seal's arrival and the end of the third inning for the moment to shine. That cart driver went FAST! So fast that my other co-worker, Ryan, was able to take a blurry picture of us passing by. At least my famous pin hat didn't fly off in the process.

That was definitely a lot of fun and once in a lifetime opportunity.

Clipper & Muni Listens to Akit's Requests: Card Readers at AT&T Park

Finally, Muni and Clipper has done something I've been asking for years to do, have Clipper card readers placed at the 2nd & King platform for the folks leaving AT&T Park to quickly pay for their ride so they can go home.

What Muni and Clipper has done is installed card two card readers onto a cart and is being powered with a small electrical generator. This means there's no need to fight for the Clipper card readers on the metro trains, and you just tag your card prior to even stepping onto the platform. I was hoping they would install readers on the ramp leading to the platform, but this substitute will work just fine.

The photo I took was at the north end of the platform nearest to the 2nd Street gate entrance/exit to the ballpark.

Dreams do come true! Thanks Muni & Clipper.

An Awesome Week for Akit

This has to be one of the best weeks for me in a long time.

The Bus Incident
On Wednesday at the Complaint Department, I was able to snap a couple of photos of a Muni bus that got stuck on top of a huge rock that was situated in the roundabout (traffic circle) at SF State. One of my fellow office co-workers said, "Akit, get your camera and get outside!" I did and I was laughing my ass off and telling my other co-workers at an all-staff meeting later that day.

I took the shots of the side of the bus and it being towed, but a big credit goes to my co-worker, Ryan, who snapped the best photo showing where the rock damaged the bus.

The incident was featured on SFist and SF Appeal within an hour of me posting the photos on Twitter and Flickr.

To make it even more amusing, my co-worker who snapped the best photo also posted it on Fail Blog and because it was such a great photo, it was featured on their main page where tens of thousands visit every single day. It's titled: "Training Fail." I can't believe there were some commentators who knew where that accident was located. That made my day even better on Friday at work. The next day, the Fail Blog post was mentioned on Muni Diaries.

Akit on the Scoreboard?
The photo featured on this blog post was at the Giants game on Friday the 10th. During a break in the second inning, there was a question on the board and the person who tweets the right answer first, gets to be on the "Tron" later that night.

I took a punch and quickly asked some people around me to confirm the answer, and it was correct and was the first to answer! I was featured on a @SFGiants tweet with my photo taken too.

A member of the Orange and Black Attack asked me to wear the Giants eye black and after the end of the 7th inning, I was on the big screen! Unfortunately, an old friend who sat next to me, forgot to snap a photo of me on the screen. Anyone have a shot of it?


I hope you had or will have a great week too. Take care!

Giants Fans Always Treats Dodgers Fans with Respect - Violence is Wrong

Today is the big day in San Francisco, the first home game as champs at AT&T Park! The weather is gorgeous and the next three days will be filled of awards and praise from the fans.

However, out of all this excitement, Bryan Stow is in the hospital with possible brain damage after a Dodgers fan at Dodgers Stadium decided to assault him. If you are going to game on April 11th, there will be a donation collection effort as his medical bills will likely be expensive and his recovery effort will be a long road ahead. I'm hopeful for a quick recovery and swift justice to those who hurt him.

With this in mind, next week is the big rivalry of the Giants vs. Dodgers at AT&T Park. Let's show how us Giants fans treat Dodger fans, both sides joke and yell at each other for fun, but us Giants fans respect them by not committing violence and anti-social behavior that would not be tolerated by most fans.

Being a fan of baseball, I find AT&T Park to be a very safe environment with many uniformed police officers and staff at every section keeping an eye on the crowds. In instances where fans are out of control, the police arrive quickly to resolve and eject fans. Even after the games, I feel safe leaving the park and riding the metro, even if we played against a big team rival.

--------------------

I want to share with you one instance when I didn't feel safe and others around me were also very uncomfortable. Last week, I attended the preseason game at AT&T Park against the A's and around the seventh inning, five young people sat behind me. Their breath was strong with alcohol and could be smelt rows away. Things really got bad when they started swearing and was even worse because there were very young children sitting next to me on my right.

Everyone started asking the drunk and unruly fans to stop cussing, and they started threatening physical violence on those who asked them to stop (example: Threatening to slap a fan). I even got spat upon by one of them, but being that I was just in front of them and an easy enough to get assaulted, I didn't want to confront them in fear of my own safety.

They eventually left the area.

--------------------

I feel one thing all ballparks should consider doing is to curb or severely limit alcohol sales. A lot of the problems with unruly fans is the booze flowing from the taps of the concession stands. I can understand that the ballparks and their vendors are getting rich off expensive cups of beer, but causing a fan to have brain damage after being assaulted by an allegedly drunk and belligerent fan is not worth it.

The general rule about selling alcohol is if the person is intoxicated, the server is not supposed to give the patron the beverage. The one big problem at AT&T Park is many of the concession stands are operated by people who have those temporary badges as they are part of an organization or fraternity/sorority who gets fundraising money in exchange for working the concession stands. From the looks of it, they don't get much training, and I'm not exactly sure they are skilled enough to identify fans who had too much to drink.

Be safe out there and enjoy your weekend.

Akit's (Not So) Secret Tips to Giants Games

With baseball season coming-up fast and the classic Bay Area rivalry of the Giants vs. A's going on for the next few days, I'd thought I'd share with you my favorite secrets, from how to score good parking, save money, time, and to make the game more fun.

Things are going to get a lot more crowded ever since earning the title of World Champions. My best advice is old fashioned patience and have plenty of time before and after the game.

Parking

• I never park my car at AT&T Park because the main lot charges $30, while other nearby lots charges at least $20 or more.
• For free or nearly free parking for night games, park your car near a SF downtown parking meter near the I-80 overpass. Enforcement ends at 6PM and if you arrive early, just a little money in the meter can cover your back, but don't park overnight.
• If you are willing to get free parking in exchange for taking public transit, park at Daly City BART (free parking weekdays after 3PM and all day on weekends).
• Another place to park for free in exchange for taking transit is in the West Portal district or near St. Francis Circle. Once there, you can take the T-Third train and go directly to the ballpark.

Transit to and from the Ballgame

• If you don't have a Clipper card, pre-purchase your return ride home on Muni metro by going to the Muni ticket booth between the Willie Mays Gate and main ticket windows/will call. Do this prior to entering the ballpark, otherwise wait in line to buy when you leave the game.
• If riding BART and taking Muni metro, use a Clipper card for payment and save 25 cents on your Muni ride to and from the ballpark (use the same card).
  
• Beat the mob waiting for a Muni metro train to the ballgame and maybe get a seat too, board at any underground station EXCEPT Embarcadero.

Save on Giants Tickets

• Since ticketing works on a market demand system, it is likely the price of tickets will go up throughout the season. Buy tickets early to save money.
• Defeat the crazy surcharges, buy your tickets for face value at AT&T Park's ticket windows, the Dugout Store (ballpark only), or the advance ticket window (if you are in the ballpark on game day).
• Try your luck with StubHub. Some comes with parking passes, and sometimes the ticketholder will sell it for less than current face value.
• Keep your eyes peeled on the SF Giants website for random ticket deals throughout the year.

Just Fork It (Food)

• Want to go super cheap? Bring your own food and sodas. Just be warned, security will confiscate your plastic soda bottle if the tamper evident seal is broken.
• Bring your own hot dogs, and go for the free (cough!) condiments at the ballpark.
• Can't beat a hot slice of pizza at Amici's for $5.
• Safeway's built to order $5 sandwiches are huge and kick ass.
  
• Best in the park food: Crazy Crab sandwich (behind scoreboard), Club Level's garlic fries because it's cooked crispy, and seat delivered ice cream sundaes.
  

Good Seats

• Without a doubt section 315, view reserved. Best view directly behind home plate.
  
• Want to interact with the nastyness of Giants vs. Dodgers games? Always sit in the View Reserved or bleacher sections. You get the nutcases, loud yellers, and jokers. Any other section is just too... well... civilized.
  

Others

• It's giveaway day? Bring a paper grocery bag, it's especially helpful for big item giveaways like bobbleheads.
• If it's a sunny day at the game, bring sunblock. Seriously folks, you'll fry.
  
• Free wifi in the park, the best "F" word in town! It's been unreliable and slow for several months and hopefully they'll fix it.
  
• Love wearing Giants gear, but don't want to pay full price? Check Amazon and the MLB online shop for occasional sales of all merchandise. You'll pay much more at the ballpark for certain items, example: Giants jacket at ballpark is $165, MLB website costs $124.
  
• Get a ticket holder & lanyard. You can't lose your game ticket, and doubles as a transit pass/transfer holder.

Let's go Giants! Clap clap, clap clap clap.

If you are wondering about the photo, I snapped a shot of Larry King at the ballgame in 2007.

An Extra $24.50 in Four Days on Nine Giants Ballgames I Want - Dynamic Pricing is Evil

I'm really frustrated with the SF Giants and their dynamic ticketing system. I did a comparison of the pricing lists I printed from January 31st and today, February 3rd.

Just last night, I used the January 31st list to pick nine single games I can attend that was a good balance of cost and still get to see the bitter rivalry against the Dodgers. Using the pricing sheets, I compared just how much the prices have changed, and it's drastic.

I'm going to list the 9 games I picked by telling your the price listed on January 31st and February 3rd, and the cost difference:

1. $18.25, $18.50; +$0.50
   
2. $27.00, $31.75; +$4.75
   
3. $16.00, $18.50; +$2.50
   
4. $20.00, $20.00; zero
   
5. $38.00, $45.50; +$7.50
   
6. $27.00, $31.25; +$4.25
   
7. $23.00, $23.50; +$0.50
   
8. $27.00, $31.25; +$4.25
   
9. $18.00, $18.25; +$0.25

• In a matter of a few days, the extra money I have to pay to buy tickets is: $24.50.
• Another way to look at this, the January 31st total: $214.25, February 3rd total: $238.75; a 10.26% INCREASE.

There's a lot of problems with this cost increase punching a hole out of my wallet:

1. The dynamic pricing system truly works when the Giants knows who is pitching, the weather, popularity of the opposing team, how the Giants rank in ERA, National League, and other numerical factors, and some others. But here's the problem, the season hasn't even started for the Giants and they have already jacked-up the price. We don't know who is going to pitch in the sixth regular home game, or what place the Giants will be in the standings.
   
2. The new price list I retrieved was updated today, prior to the start of the pre-sale of tickets for people with Visa cards. What factors caused the Giants to raise the price of tickets when the regular season hasn't even started? Did Brian Wilson's visit to the George Lopez show jack-up the need to see him pitch? Or is it the gimp (a.k.a. "The Machine)?
3. Nearly all of the games I chose went up in price, except for just one.
4. The dynamic pricing list shows a lot of opportunities to just pay a few quarters more and you can get a better seat in the View Box level versus paying for View Reserved Infield.

I'm wondering how much more I'm going to have to pay before tickets go on sale starting February 5th at 9AM. For those who wants to beat the surcharges by buying in person, you'd better review the pricing list before lining up this Saturday for tickets at the ballpark.

What's next, raise the price of garlic fries on the "dynamic fries" system? How about raising the price of a cup of beer when the weather is hot?

What will it take for the Giants to kill dynamic pricing?

Buying Giants 2011 Tickets - World Series Title a Curse on Ticket Prices?

UPDATE: I compared the price list I printed on 1/31 to today (2/3) and the games I chose to purchase tickets all went up in price, AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC DIDN'T EVEN GET A SHOT AT PURCHASING UNTIL SATURDAY AT 9AM! This is highway robbery. Read more from a more recent post.

(Original Post)
I've been a San Francisco Giants fan all my life as I've been living in one of the most gorgeous cities in the world my entire life. As a fan, I carry a fun collection of items, from orange Giants logo neckties, a hat with tons of pins I've collected throughout the years, Giants jacket and jersey, and so many more great items and photos I've taken.

I'm proud our team won the World Series title in 2010 and our city will be cherishing it forever, but I feel there's a big curse placed on all of us for earning the title of "champions."

That curse, overpriced 2011 Giants tickets.


History about Giants Ticket Pricing
In 2010, the San Francisco Giants imposed the "Dynamic Pricing" ticketing system on all seats where tickets was based on an algorithm (for you non math folks, a demand system) where ticket prices would vary every day and would go up or down based on factors like opposing team, day or night, weekday or weekend, pitcher, giveaway, winning streak, and other factors. The dynamic pricing system gave the power to the SF Giants to change the pricing of tickets at any moment.

Prior to 2010, Giants tickets was always sold on a rigid pricing schedule. At least a few years ago, all single game tickets cost the same, regardless if it was a rival team or one that was easy to defeat. In 2009, the Giants decided to experiment with a modified version of dynamic pricing by charging fans a slightly higher price for tickets for "feature games" and "premium games." Those teams that are doing well or was the big bad rivals of the Giants (e.g. Dodgers). Interestingly, the Giants still have their 2009 pricing list online.

In my opinion, the dynamic pricing schedule is more of a way to rake in more money while the rigid pricing schedule made it easy for us fans to know how much we can spend in our own personal budgets. Based on the 2010 tickets I purchased, I noticed all the ticket prices go up from just a few dollars to double the cost of what I purchased. I was smart to buy my tickets early to get the best deal, but others who buy spontaneously gets penalized with much higher ticket prices for the same section I'd be sitting in.

But now that our team is the world champions, the fame and glory comes at a heavy price to us, the fans. Just today, the Giants allowed fans with Visa cards to purchase tickets two days prior to the sale of single game tickets to the general public. Due to dynamic pricing, some ticket prices have jumped to drastic levels, even for games against our rivals, the LA Dodgers.

Here's a comparison of ticket prices for Giants vs. Dodgers home games:

• 2011 dynamic pricing for View Reserved Infield: From $31.25 to $45.50 (as of 2/3/11). Average ticket price is $35.94 (using the mean average).
  
• 2009 "premium game" pricing for same section: $32.00 for all SF/LA games.

Would you pay $45 to see the Dodgers? Hell no. I wished the Giants disbanded this awful dynamic pricing system and just set-up the old fashioned rigid schedule so everyone can get a fair shot at buying tickets. Baseball tickets is not an airplane flight where the person next to you paid $20 less and the one in front of you paid an extra $30.

--------------------

Here's some pro tips to good ticket prices:

• Stubhub is the legal scalping marketplace, but you will pay a surcharge. Many season ticketholders want to sell their tickets to games they can't make it to, so you benefit with lower prices and extra perks like parking included.
  
• Buying at AT&T Park waives all surcharges, except if you use the automated machines at the park, you'll pay a one time 50 cent fee regardless if you buy one or 50 tickets.
• Costco is still selling the Giants ticket vouchers. $62 for two view reserved infield tickets to any game (except opening day and night), and includes $20 for day-of-game food and souvenir purchasing ($10 per ticket). If you can find a game valued at more than $21 per ticket for the same section, you save money. If you can find a game valued at $31 or more, the day-of-game food/gift benefit is literally free.
  

Clipper Card Gets People to SF Giants Parade Today - Who's Laughing Now?

For the past few days, people have been posting their anger on Twitter against Muni and Clipper for the mandatory conversion of the "A" adult paper passes to Clipper only. But there's also the usual anger from other people saying it doesn't work on BART, Caltrain, and other agencies.

Here's some of the Twitter anger: Tweet #1, tweet #2, tweet #3, tweet #4, and tweet #5.

Well, today is the big SF Giants parade in celebration of their World Series victory, thousands are packing mass transit with longer trains on BART, extra ferries on Golden Gate Ferry, and lines everywhere for train and ferry tickets.

For those who says "Clipper sucks," who's laughing now? Using the card is like the express line, no feeding bills into the farebox, you can enter the rear doors of Muni metro, no waiting for BART tickets, and speed through the line at the Golden Gate Ferry!

Here's some of the positive feedback for today's "who's laughing now?"
Tweet #1, tweet #2, tweet #3, tweet #4, tweet #5, tweet #6, and tweet #7.


If you don't have a Clipper card, why not get one? Visit your retailer and read my expert guide about Clipper.

Lastly, congrats to our hometown heroes, the San Francisco Giants! Goooooo Giants! Sing it Tony Bennett!

Comparing SF Giants Dynamic Pricing and StubHub - Many can Save a Lot of Money

If you buy San Francisco Giants baseball tickets directly from the Giants, you may be paying more than what you bargained for. I've previously argued the new dynamic pricing system is flawed, and while the Giants has made an effort to keep their prices up-t0-date, it's highly likely you could get better prices and better seats by doing some research.

There are three types of Giants ticket buyers:

1. Season ticket fans always get the best prices because they agree to buy a ticket to every home game and usually comes with the right to buy postseason tickets. Depending on where you want to sit, the per ticket price is typically lower or the same as the price for single tickets. See ticket pricing and map.
2. Pre-season and early ticket buyers: Since the SF Giants now uses the dynamic pricing system to sell their tickets, once the ticket prices are released, it's generally the best time to buy single game tickets. In many cases, its likely the ticket prices will be raised as time progresses to game day. Review dynamic pricing list.
   
3. "Fair weather fans:" If you are the type that decides to buy last minute or decide it's a beautiful day to attend a game, you are going to pay the highest ticket prices for a baseball game when buying direct from the SF Giants. If you were to purchase a ticket for this Saturday's game against the Diamondbacks, you will currently pay $34.00 for a view reserved infield seat. The starting price was $13.50, and the dynamic pricing system slowly raised it to $17 just a few weeks ago.

This blog entry is to help all you "fair weather fans" get a better deal in buying Giants tickets without screwing around with the rip-off dynamic pricing system.

So... what's my answer? Ticket scalping.

No, I'm not going to tell you to see one of those ticket scalpers across the street from the ballpark because people could sell their tickets to the scalper, but the ticket could be a fraud or voided thanks to the new barcode system on every ticket that allows a ticket holder to sell their tickets or transfer them to a friend electronically.

As some of you may know, Major League Baseball has allowed StubHub to be the official online marketplace for baseball ticket holders to sell their tickets, and for fans to buy seats at a steep discount. It's a popular choice for season ticket holders because if they can't make it to certain games, they can attempt to sell their ticket and make money off of it.

How can a "fair weather fan" score a great deal?

• One big advantage of StubHub over buying tickets directly from the Giants is you can choose what specific section you want to sit in. It will also tell you the row and seat numbers too. Some ticket sellers also gives a description of the location, such as "behind home plate" or "near Kville."
• Using your web browser's tab features, open a new tab for StubHub for the SF Giants, and a new tab for the Giants dynamic pricing page. (PC users: hold control and click; Mac users, hold the Apple key and click). Pick a game you are interested in with StubHub and start comparing tickets.
• When comparing tickets, I recommend selecting a seating zone you may be interested in sitting in (e.g. left field bleachers, lower box, etc.). Based on what you select, compare the prices between the dynamic pricing list and what the ticket sellers are offering. In many cases, you will find tickets that costs LESS than what the SF Giants will sell to you, especially in the case if you are buying with less than week before the ballgame.
• Lastly, when comparing tickets, don't forget to take into account the surcharges. StubHub will always charge a surcharge of about $4.95. If you buy direct from the Giants, either online or an official retail outlet such as a Dugout Store, you will pay about a 17% surcharge; you can get a ticket surcharge free by going to a ticket window at AT&T Park, the advance ticket window inside the park, or the Giants Dugout Store at AT&T Park. Remember, the dynamic pricing list changes frequently.
  

Let's try one, shall we? Here's the criteria:

1. I want to buy a view reserved infield ticket to this Friday's game against the Diamondbacks (May 28th).
2. The SF Giants dynamic pricing page tells me a ticket will cost me $22 each (not including surcharges). If I were to purchase online, one ticket with surcharges will cost me $25.75 (with free will call option).
   
3. StubHub sellers are selling their view infield reserved tickets starting at $10 each. The e-ticket surcharge is $4.95 for a total of $14.95 a ticket. If I purchased two or more tickets, the e-ticket surcharge is a would not multiply by how many tickets I ordered, it's just one flat price. Two tickets would be a total of $24.95.

In the end, StubHub's ticket sellers can sell me two tickets for less than the price of one! If I went surcharge-free by visiting AT&T Park today and only bought one ticket, just an extra $2.20 would get me an extra ticket for the same ticketing zone.

A little bit of digging around can help you save lots of money. Now go spend the money you saved on some garlic fries and I'll see you at the game!

Update: Akit's Efforts Pays Off with Upgraded SF Giants Dynamic Pricing List

If you recall a week ago, I mentioned on my blog that the SF Giants sells tickets on a dynamic pricing structure that sets ticket prices depending on many variables including giveaways, who is pitching, and how the team is doing. My primary argument is the pricing list they provided on their official website did not reflect actual ticket costs listed on their official ticket broker, Tickets.com.

I have been monitoring the dynamic pricing page ever since I posted my blog entry and there have been some changes to their website. The new dynamic pricing page is now current (prices on list reflect actual prices sold by Tickets.com), but also enhanced to remove the long list (every game posted) and now can be shown in smaller batches by month and by team opponent. Also, by moving your mouse cursor over the game, it will change color and make it easier to identify what section you may be interested in sitting in.

This is a good improvement, SF Giants management. Akit's Complaint Department is proud to help make policy changes.

--------------------

Just a run down memory lane... remember when the SF Giants management banned fans to walk on the bleacher/arcade section's promenade unless if the ticket holder was seated in the bleachers or arcade areas? After my blog entry, they removed their incredibly stupid policy; now, I can get my "Crazy Crab" sandwich! Yum!

SF Giants Dynamic Ticketing System Could be Ripping You Off

The San Francisco Giants is the first Major League Baseball team to sell all their tickets through "dynamic pricing" where tickets are sold at market value and varies on a number of factors:

• The popularity of the team. Dodgers games always costs more.
• Who will be pitching at the games.
• How the Giants are doing. Winning streak or getting a major ass kicking?
• Giveaways such as bobbleheads and tote bags.
  

The ticket pricing structure is similar to airlines that raise and lower prices depending on factors like the travel season (major holidays, events, etc.), and popularity.

From my understanding, the Giants are doing this so they can fill-up the stadium. Very popular games and giveaways will always bring in the fans, no matter how high the price will be. For very unpopular games or situations where the Giants are not doing so great, they will lower prices to reflect it so they can fill-up the stadium for bargain seekers.

The old way they used to do it is the prices never changed regardless of whatever team was visiting. Just a year ago, they changed the structure to a program where the most affordable seats was during weekday games, second most expensive was Friday-Sunday, and they also had "premium" games for those popular visiting teams visiting AT&T Park regardless of what day the games were held.

I find the dynamic pricing structure to have some serious problems. (Crazy Crab would be pissed) The dynamic pricing master list is posted on the SF Giants website and reflects pricing for all games this season, including ones that have already concluded. I would assume many of you would believe this is the official market pricing for games, if I were to buy a ticket immediately through their ticketing contractor, Tickets.com.

Actually... that is the big problem. The dynamic pricing list doesn't reflect the actual prices offered by Tickets.com. When you click on the "T" square on the far left, the prices don't match up for games for about the next 30 days.

• Example: I want to get a ticket for the view reserved infield section on May 29th. The dynamic pricing list shows a ticket will cost me $13.00 (face value). But, when I click on the "T" symbol, the ticketing website tells me the area costs $15.50 per ticket, an increase of $2.50 per ticket.

Nearly all the games I've checked-out for the next 30 days shows a similar pattern. The dynamic pricing list shows a lower ticket cost, but Tickets.com continues to sell the Giants tickets at a higher face value cost.

I've written to the SF Giants about this problem and they said "the price list is the base price at the beginning of the season." I argued that is not true. They have changed prices on a frequent basis on the dynamic pricing page and it has been properly reflected on the Tickets.com website, until now. The example I provided is I purchased a ticket to an exhibition game against the Oakland A's at AT&T Park and paid $3.50 per ticket (face value) and the price was the same as the dynamic pricing list I printed out earlier that day. When the game approached, the dynamic pricing list was updated and reflected the new price, $5 a ticket. Basically, their representative who replied back to me basically said something that is not true.

It leaves fans confused about how the system works. Who is maintaining the accurate market rate prices on the tickets? Should we trust the dynamic pricing list to tell its fans what the actual prices are, or should we trust it in the ticketing processor, Tickets.com? Fair weather fans may just decide to abandon buying tickets from the Giants (via Tickets.com) because they would refuse to pay a higher price for a ticket when the dynamic pricing list mentions a lower price.

It would be in the best interest of the SF Giants to simply continue to update the dynamic pricing list while Tickets.com has the same exact prices reflected.

I find that people depend on that pricing list to see if the tickets they previously purchased has gone up or down, but also for those who want to buy tickets to rely on that list when purchasing, whether it be online or in-person. Also, the list is useful for those people selling their extra tickets on Stubhub; if they want to sell their ticket with a minimum financial loss, they'd view the dynamic pricing list and sell the ticket at a lower cost than what the Giants are offering. But if it's for a popular game and they want to sell it quick while making extra money, the list is also helpful to see how much the Giants are charging.

--------------------

Here's my e-mail conversation with the Giants:

Initial question:
I want to make you aware that while your dynamic pricing list shows the pricing of seats in all the sections, I was looking at a few games for the next month (including 5/29) and while upper deck reserved infield on dynamic pricing says $13.00, clicking to order the tickets online says the price is $15.50. Other games reflect a difference around $1 to as much as $2.50 difference between the dynamic page and online ordering via Tickets.com.

SF Giants Response:
Thank you for contacting us. Yes, we are aware of the current price changes from the pricing list. Although some prices change, some stay the same. Keep in mind that prices change as we sell tickets for those events in advance. The price list is the base price at the beginning of the season.

Regards,
Ticket Services SF Giants

My reply:
Thanks for the e-mail, but I need to inform you that people will always believe the dynamic pricing webpage maintained on the Giants website is the true prices, and will reflect it when purchasing it online or through an official ticket office (e.g. Giants Dugout stores).

Here's a perfect example:
Once the dynamic pricing list was released to the public, I purchased a ticket to the first two pre-season games against the Oakland A's. The price I paid for at the Giants Dugout at AT&T Park was $3.50 each (no surcharge) and the same price was reflected on the dynamic pricing page. But, when the game day was approaching, the price on the dynamic website was raised to $5.00 a seat and was also reflected on the ticket purchasing as well. In this example, there is no grounds to your claim that the "price list is the base price at the beginning of the season" as your list has been shown to change on a near daily basis on the dynamic pricing list.

The fans depend on your dynamic pricing list to see if it's a good time to buy a ticket; and that price should be immediately reflected if they buy it immediately online or buy it in-person at a tickets.com outlet with a list very recently printed from their computer.

Akit's Furlough Adventure #4 - SF Giants Game

Sorry for the delay in posting this furlough adventure, it's been quite busy at work.

Furlough Adventure #4 is the SF Giants game on Tuesday, September 8, 2009. I went with one of my co-workers since the tickets I purchased came in a pair.

This night was for the local firefighters and people who bought special tickets got a really interesting mug shaped like a firefighter's boot.


This night was also Madison Bumgarner's first Major League baseball game because just a few hours before the game, Tim Lincecum was experiencing back spasms.


Here's a photo of his first Major League pitch.

Want to see more photos? Look below for the slideshow:

Ouch, Bay Bridge will not re-open in time

Well folks, the word is the Bay Bridge won't open at 5AM on Tuesday, so that means... get ready for insanity. People planned early for the Friday closure and was able to get time off, but don't expect your boss to give the OK a second time. Lucky me, my butt is furloughed tomorrow, but I'll have to take the brunt of the Giants game with fighting for an afternoon parking space in a lot.

Isn't it strange that just a month ago, BART unions threatened to strike during Labor Day Weekend, and now they are the heroes for transporting people to and from work during this extended closure?

Let's learn about the alternatives to getting around:

1. The other bridges can take the brunt, but get ready for traffic hell.
2. BART will not run 24-hour service, so if you miss the last train, you are screwed. They will run all the trains in their stock to make-up for the massive crowds.
3. The Alameda/Oakland ferry is running half-hour service and will still do the Giants ballgame service.
   
4. Golden Gate Ferry will add one extra departure at 7:30 at Larkspur using their slower Spaulding boat. They will do a Giants game trip.
   
5. Golden Gate Transit will NOT add additional buses (assholes!).
6. Baylink (Vallejo) ferry will NOT have Giants ballgame ferry service. An extra boat will be running to transport people.

For a summary of all expanded (and not so expanded) services, visit here.

--------------------

Giants fans, Tuesday's evening game is going to suck...

• BART and Muni is your best bet, but you'll get jammed with the commuters trying to get home.
• Ferries is a good idea, but the only one I can find right now is Golden Gate. Baylink WILL NOT have service.
• If you live locally, how about getting a parking permit? Check on Stubhub for those.

Tickets are going for cheap for Tuesday's game: Use code "GIANTSK" at the Giants website and get...

• $43 Club Outfield tickets.
• $29 Club Left Field
• $23 Lower Box
• $6 View (Upper) Reserved

Dang... I got sucker punched because I got $20 upper box tickets.

--------------------

Lastly, if you are going to the Giants-Dodgers game on Friday, you can get $25 upper reserved tickets instead of paying $32 with code "CAIN."

Prepare to Soil Your Pants - BART STRIKE may Start at 12:01AM Friday

If you are reading this and today is Thursday, you might want to ask your boss for tomorrow off. A brand new report from KPIX/CBS5 is that a BART strike is possible starting at 12:01AM tomorrow (Friday).

The article states that the 72 hour notice was only effective during the contract extension. Since the contract ends tonight at 11:59PM, it means the unions do not have to give prior notice to strike one second after midnight on Friday.

I'm re-posting my tips to alternate ways to get around without BART and add some new ideas (new ideas will be in green):

East Bay to SF: Your commute is going to really suck since the Bay Bridge is a nightmare.

• AC Transit Transbay service. But you'll get stuck on the bridge.
• Oakland/Alameda and Harbor Bay Ferries to the Ferry Building.
• Golden Gate Transit at El Cerrito Del Norte and Richmond BART via Richmond Bridge and Golden Gate Bridge. Then transfer to a SF bound bus, or gamble on a space on the Larkspur ferry.
• Casual carpool. Yep, stuck in traffic too.
• BART said in the news last night that they could hire strike breakers to drive buses from certain major stations to SF, but since they depend on our freeways, expect long delays and confusion.
  

Inter-East Bay:

• AC Transit's local service. Rapid likes 72R and 1R will help a bit.
  

San Mateo County to SF: Well, nobody gives a damn about BART in that area since there's such low ridership.

• Caltrain (DUH!)
• Samtrans express buses to Transbay Terminal.

Inter-San Francisco: Tack on an extra hour on your journey.

• Muni (Cough! Vomit! Puke!). But Muni will offer increased service in areas like Mission St. and the N-Judah (where Caltrain stops).
  
• Taxi!

San Francisco Giants Fans, the San Diego series is happening this weekend:

• Check with Golden Gate Ferry, Vallejo Baylink Ferry, and Oakland/Alameda Ferry for direct service.
• AC Transit Transbay service, but be warned of traffic on Bay Bridge.
• Dumbarton Express and transfer to Caltrain.
• Just sell your tickets on StubHub, there's no chance hell you are going to make it in time.
  

For more strike tips, visit: http://www.511.org

UPDATE: BART's unions are talking to the media and they claim "reasonable notice [of a strike]" is at least ONE HOUR. What the hell is that? They are curtailing that answer by not claiming "one hour."